TransOhioTrail

Trans Ohio Trail
Spring 2019
About 1,200 miles of Ohio's backroads ridden in April.
This route was laid out by the good adventure riders in Ohio and I
owe a bit of thanks to them for being able to ride the route.

I would be riding my Honda 250 Rally.
I've ridden it a lot---but this is the first trip for it carrying camping gear.
Takes some time getting a new bike set up for long distance riding and camping.

My riding partner would be my buddy Jerry Mueller (AKA Road Dad).
We've ridden a whole lot together and he was riding his 2008 WR250R------of course.
About 125,000 miles were on his bike as we started this ride.

We have identical Ford Transit Vans set up for hauling our bikes and camping in them.
This ride started in Huntington WV and we left our vans there.

It was a beautiful cool spring day---we started riding early---going North into Ohio.
It wasn't long before we went by this covered bridge --------the first of many.
There were many on the ride---however I've ridden over here a lot and had some others
marked for us to check out.

We rode on many roads that were impassable when wet---this was one of them, but it was dry
today and no problem. We only bailed on one short road section on this ride.

The stuff you see on these lonely backroads always fascinates me.

I think these were old brick ovens ??????

The first of what seemed like a hundred road closed signs----almost all we got thru.

This is one of at least 50 bridges we crossed that were built just exactly like this.
Same steel-----some short-----some long.

We tried not to stop all the little stores along the way------but visited quite a few.

Unlike other signs------------this one meant business.

This required a 30 mile re-route.
No problem at all-----me and Jerry agreed it would be months before this will be re-built.
I learned several people worked on these routes and found many things they were un-aware of.

The lower steps had been removed so we couldn't go up it.

This little rutted up muddy road went on for miles. You had to be well balanced as a lot of the time
you were riding on a narrow ridge betwee 2 deep ruts. We kept our bikes upright thru here.

Same picture as the one at the top----this is at Dysart woods.
The largest old growth forest in Ohio.

A Short Video of Day 1

Day 2

We ended up in Logan Ohio the first day.
A picture tip if you have trouble keeping track of photos on long rides.
Take a picture of what day it is to keep photos organized-------this is Day 2.

Not sure---but we may have went off route a bit to see this furnace.

This really caught my attention a me and my wife have had so much fun riding our
bicycles on these old railroad beds around the country.

It started raining on us and kept it up for a few hours.
I've been to the Moonville tunnel before on my Africa Twin but never hiked to and thru
the tunnel. Today was the day.

You walk across this bridge to get to the tunnel--------but this is not the bridge
the railroad went over--------it is long gone.

We stayed here an hour or so and marvelled at the brick work.

We came across the location of the devastating mine disaster.

Sorry for the blurry pictures------but it was soupy out.

There was no rhyme or reason this was parked out in a field.
The surrounding terrain told us there was never a railroad in this field.

This covered bridge was just a bit off the route-------I'd been here before on a previous ride
and had the waypoint for it in my gps and wanted to show it to Jerry.

This is San Toy, Ohio
It's a ghost town and not much left of it.

A short video of Day 2

Day 3

Well what's this ????

Dang roofers !!!

And after all the hard work I did---------Jerry takes a bow.

The best picture I took of the whole trip.
But...........we were there !!!!

I guess any Ohioan has seen the Big Muskee Bucket.
Jerry had been there but I hadn't. He wanted to see it again so we stopped by.

Me and Jerry had talked about how we'd ride up in the thing and take our pictures.
We chickened out.

This had been on my "Bucket List" for years !!!!!

Read the facts.

We had 2 little barriers right in a row----I guess Ohio decided the bridge just beyond the barrier
wasn't safe for 4 wheeled vehicles. But we just had 2 and got around easy.

There was another bridge just beyond this barrier so we went up the hill---easy go around.
The TOT was routed straight ahead.

This road may not look fun-------but it was and ran right along the Witts river high on a bluff
sometimes. Smooth as a babies butt.

Now for the rest of the flat tire story.
I fixed my flat in short order----------and pinched the tube in shorter order.
So now we had no spare 18" tubes.
Jerry took his time and patched both of our tubes in case we needed them.
It was a couple days before we could buy some more.

Clothes dryer-------I personally prefer putting my socks on the blades of a ceiling fan.

Jerry's reward for patching our tubes.

A short video of day 3

Day 5
Day 4 was spent in a motel room hiding from local tornadoes.

So that's what they're doing with all the coal mines we drove by.

The next few pictures are of an old rairoad bed made into a hiking and bicycling trail.
I first thought it was a covered bridge.

Not open to motorized vehicles-----but I was surprised when this horse and buggy flew by.

Kinda..............spectacular.
After getting home I found out more interesting stuff about this bridge.
To some it's called "The Bridge Of Dreams"
Built in the 1920's as a railroad bridge and is 370ft. long. And is now considered a covered bridge.
It is the 2nd longest covered bridge in Ohio.
Like Indiana Ohio is littered with covered bridges---I've been to most but not all of them.

I was warned there was a tree blockage here---but you could ride under it.
It was there yesterday I was told but someone had cut it out before we got there.

Don't just skip by this place.
Go inside-----get warmed up----have a cup of coffee---relax---maybe eat a moonpie.
The nice people here wouldn't let us pay for our food and drinks---said they
were paying it forward. This is the 2nd time I've had a similar thing like this happen to me.
The nicest people in here. All smiles. I won't forget this place.

Downtown Glenmont, Ohio
I could live here.

Now into Amish Country---------a picture every mile.

The go around was a hoot--------pretty good hillclimb for 2 old farts.

We never found any slick slimey creek crossings that I'm used to.

Here's a short video of Day 5

Day 6
At Dysart Woods---there was some nice hiking trails---I would have love to put on some
tennis shoes and hike a bit and stretch out my old legs. Jerry's not a hiker he says.

There are a hundred miles of backroads on the TOT that go thru mining areas.

We sat patiently up on a hill waiting for these guys get the telephone pole laying across the road
out of the way. We watched heavy equipment work behind us.
In a bit they waved us through.

Yeh we breezed thru here.

Jerry had a horrible experience last year crossing a creek on the Mid-Atlantic discovery route
riding it with me.
And I had one earlier in the year on the Current river in Missouri.
We vowed to not drown and turn around.

Ah what the heck--------you have to die of something.

The bridge was the only way to get to the house.

A Short Video of Day 6